Comments (0)Hall Of Famer
September 11, 2009In response to the August 28 article and the September 4 follow-up letter about Food-A-Rama, I would like to clarify that my father’s name was Ben Schuster, not Paul Schuster. Ben Schuster began his first grocery store on Druid Hill Ave. and followed with a store on Mount and Mosher Streets.
The first Food-A-Rama was at Baltimore and Fremont, not Liberty Heights Avenue, which came later. My father brought his two brothers-in-law, Paul Diamond and David Diamond, together to start Food-A-Rama. They began in the inner city and expanded there, knowing that major chains did not like to operate in the city since they could not be profitable. He and my two uncles competed against chain stores such as Acme and A&P, causing them to close, and then would purchase and operate those stores, making them profitable. They knew how to merchandise by area and cater to each local community.
They would expand into Maryland and Washington by buying out other chain stores such as Penn Fruit, Pantry Pride, and Grand Union and make them successful, too. Overall, they had 4,000 employees, whom were treated with dignity and respect and many of whom were employed on a long-term basis and known by their first names.
This is why my father, Ben Schuster, was inducted into the Maryland Food Hall of Fame.
Alvin Schuster
Baltimore